Monday, June 24, 2013

We are happy to be back in the cool observatories and this time we took on a "Flight of Fancy" as hot-air balloons hover over the fields in the Flower Dome.

It is a shame that the haze that struck us unexpectedly earlier this week, has forced many outdoor and even indoor activities to be cancelled. As the PSI level rises from unhealthy into the hazardous range, gone are our clear blue skies and fresh air that we wake up to every morning.

Under this hazy weather condition, we can only continue to enjoy the beauty of nature within the cool observatories.

Our family was lucky to make our trip here before the haze condition worsens... It was a pleasure admiring the floral displays and keeping ourselves cool under the blazing hot sun. This is a big playground for our kiddos.

Denver & Gladys enjoying themselves @ the Flower Dome. There's always something new to surprise us on every visit.

Taking flight....

My Prince & Princess. :)

A photo collection of the flowers I took during our walk at the Flight of Fancy.

Spotted these two beauties 'flying' within the floral field.

Which one do you like?

Flight of Fancy will continue to take flight at the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest from 3rd June to 21st July 2013. Definitely a great place to be, away from the heat and haze, to enjoy the lust greenery, beautiful flowers and fresh scent.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

After spending a fun-filled morning visiting the various interesting services/activities catered for children during our Kids' Day out at The Grandstand, our final stop is a food tasting session (as well as our lunch) at the Treehouse Cafe.

The warm ambiance and decor makes me feel very welcoming as I stepped into the cafe. The indoor play area however, was the center of attraction for my little girl. We love to dine together as a family but usually the kids gets restless while waiting or after their meals, and its hard to enjoy a cup of coffee/tea thereafter. Seeing a mini 'playground' inside the cafe definitely is a delight for Gladys.

Treehouse Cafe is one of the few restaurants that has an indoor treehouse and play area to keep the children occupied while daddies and mummies sit down and watch their little ones as they dine and chat.

There are Lego blocks, some small toys and books at the play area on the ground floor and a small kitchen playset on level 2. While older kids can play on their own, parents taking younger children should accompany their child particularly if they are on the stairways and level 2. Personally, I find there can be a wider selection and availability of toys, especially on second floor as it was pretty empty and dark. Gladys looked a bit disappointed after making her way up.

Apart from child-friendly facilities, Treehouse Cafe also serves a variety of European and Asian dishes to suit the taste buds of both adults and children. Starting with the Breakfast menu, they serve bread, pancake, Eggs Benedict and more.

Eggs Benedict with Jamon ($18)

I love their Tapas selection, particularly the Sauteed Spicy Mushrooms. It is not too spicy nor oily and I love the sweetness and softness of the mushrooms. The aftertaste was splendid, and I could not resist finishing the entire bowl.

Sauteed Spicy Mushrooms with Chilli & Garlic ($9)

Pork Meatball in Spicy Tomato Sauce ($12)

Nicely marinated and I like it to go with my rice.

Sizzling Prawns with Garlic, Chili & Olive Oil ($14)

Normally I do not order Lasagna as I find it a bit too heavy and over-whelming for my liking after a few spoonful. Found it refreshing and enjoying to take this dish once again. The Beef Lasagna is cheesy and nicely done.

Beef Lasagna ($20)

Gladys is a great fan of Pizzas and Cheese and selecting Cheesy Pizza from the Children Menu isn't that hard. All kids meal (for children below 12 years) at Treehouse Cafe is at $15 that includes a main course, a drink and a scoop of Movenpick Ice-cream.

Cheesy Pizza - portion was just nice for Gladys and she finishes them in a swift. Apart from pizza, other kids meal selection includes nuggets, pasta, chicken sausage and fish soupy soup.

I love this dish! The steak is juicy and tender which goes well with the soft bread, cheesy cheese, fresh onions, tomato and lettuce making the burger exceptionally yummylicious. No wonder this is one of the popular item on the menu.

Although I do not detest, I do not have a liking of mutton especially if the scent is too strong. Thank goodness this serving of Lamb Shank does not have a strong smell and it's meat is soft and tender.

My overall dining experience at the Treehouse Cafe has been pleasant, and I enjoyed most of the food. Pricing of the dishes is at the middle-range and I would prefer the portion of the food to be slightly bigger. I love the owner's concept of having a play area within the cafe which makes it very welcoming for families with children, giving parents a peace of their mind as the kiddos engage themselves in play time.

Treehouse Cafe

Address: 200 Turf Club Road, #01-17, Singapore 287994

Telephone: 6469 0282

Website: http://www.treehousecafe.com.sg

Disclosure: Sponsored Review - All comments and opinions are personal. Thank you OpenRice for inviting us for the food tasting session @ The Grandstand.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

As we were 'touring' around The Grandstand (Level 4), we noticed a shop selling Children's designer clothing like Gap, Ralph Lauren, Levis etc. There are also shoes and accessories to complete your child's wardrobe.

Little Once holds a wide range of quality clothing suitable for babies, toddlers, boys and girls.

There is also a little corner for the little ones to play while their parents are busy shopping.

Further ahead is The LPN (Learning Planet) Art School. Really enjoyed looking at the children's masterpieces that are hung on the walls and placed on the shelves. The colours are bright and vibrant. I think children gets to have lots of fun playing with their brushes (not having to worry too much about getting themselves and the place messy) and exposed to the various art techniques.

Art is an inspiring work and a great learning activity for children to develop their creativity, patience and motor skills. LPN emphasize that LEARNING is Fun and ART is Fun. It is a place where a child's imagination can be released in an enjoyable manner.

We met a girl working on her painting during our visit. She looked like a little artist who takes a lot of pride in her artwork - very focused and an eye for details.

LPN has art lessons for baby (18 months - 36 months) to children (up to 12 years old) as well as adult hobby classes. They also conduct programmes in Primary and Secondary schools. For more information, please refer to their website.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

My Kid's Spastarted out in November 2012 and focuses on providing therapeutic massages. It is set up by mothers for mothers who love their children and want them to have the best.

They have a range of massage menu suitable for infant to children (6 years onwards).

- Infant Massage (0 months to 12 months)

- Toddler Massage (12 months to 24 months)

- Pre-Schooler Massage (2 years to 6 years)

- 'BadPack' Therapy (5 years onwards)

- Eye-AM-Stress Relief Therapy (5 years onwards)

- Sports Stress Therapy (5 years onwards)

- Digest-Ease Therapy (12 months onwards)

At Kid's Spa, every corner has been thoughtfully designed to make the entire area comforting and relaxing.

The massaging room feels welcoming and I particularly like the foot massaging corner which is beautifully decorated with cute wall stickers and stuff toys. Children will definitely feel very pampered to be here.

We pampered ourselves with a quick 10 minutes Mother & Child massage session. It was Gladys' first Spa session and she was totally clueless and shy. Luckily Mommy was there to accompany her and we did the massaging trial together! ^_^

The bed was mildly heated as our therapists massages on my body, neck and head. My back and shoulder was extremely stiff and strain but I felt better after the massage.

I like the idea of Mother & Child massages as it not only provides therapeutic effect on our bodies and mind, it was also a wonderful bonding session with my little one. Interestingly, they also hold Kids Spa Party for 6 to 20 children with Massage therapy for each child, high tea, handicraft session etc.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Many people are leading a busy lifestyle and coping with stressful work commitments. Hence, Yoga is becoming a popular form of exercise to help reduce the stress, stimulate the mind, rejuvenate and restore the body. Yoga isn't just for adults. In fact, children can derive many benefits physically and emotionally.

YogaBugs, children's yoga specialist, introduce creative, imaginative and fun yoga to children through fun stories and games. Gladys had the opportunity to participate in one of their yoga session while we were at The Grandstand.

Gladys attending her first yoga session with lots of anticipation.

The children gathered on their yoga mats and began with a series of warm ups and basic breathing techniques.Teacher Arissa then lead them into an adventure story, which was carried out in a fun and interactive manner to engage our little ones.

The incorporation of children's imagination and yoga postures allow them to actively follow the postures and stretches that were being directed by the teacher. Many of these postures help to relieve stiffness in joints and brings flexibility to the legs and back muscles. It improves the children's balance, flexibility and co-ordination skill. Other benefits include relief of headaches, sinus, asthma, constipation, stomachache and hyperactive.

Children gets to exercise, play and connect with their inner self as they develop their level of concentration and in turn relaxes their bodies.

My personal favourite moment - Relaxation period. Gladys rests her body on the yoga mat as the lights in the room were darkened and soothing music fills the air.

Moment of Peace

It feels good to see Gladys following through the lesson as she tends to be a rather active girl, needing more patience and focus. Yoga definitely is a good exercise to help her improve in these areas.

YogaBugs have classes suitable for children from walking age till 12 years and they also offer fun and unique parties too. For more information, check out their website.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

For those who adore art & craft, San Merinos is definitely a place that you should consider visiting. From knitting, stitching, embroidery to quilting, felting, you can find all your crafting needs here.

I LOVE Art & Craft since young and was really tempted by the variety of crafting projects you can find at San Merinos. The felting products are so CUTE that children and adults will fall in Love with them instantly! I was totally mesmerized by the handmade felting cleaner and the puffy Punyu2 mascot. They are so soft and nice to cuddle. Was told that it is not hard to make and can be done within a few hours using needle felting! I would love to try and make one next time. :)

Different types of yarns, threads, ribbons, fabric available in the shop. San Merinos holds a wide variety of products from Japan, Europe, UK and US where you will be spoilt for choices.

Thanks to San Merinos, Gladys and I will be doing 2 different crafts - UV resin (Mommy) and Needle felting (Gladys).

For today's felting craft, Gladys needs to use the pen-style needle felting tool that comes with 3 needles.

Step 1: Place the felt cloth on top of the needle-felting mat.

Step 2: Place the needle-felting applique mould (Gladys chose a hedgehog design) on top of the base fabric.

Step 3: Pull out some wool and insert wool roving into the mold.

Step 4: Use the pen-style needle-felting tool to punch the wool into the cloth.

Repeat Step 3 & 4 until the design is completed.

While our little girl was focusing on her craft work, Mommy gets busy with her very first UV resin craft!

We were provided with the UV resin craft kit which comes with a pendant, 2 different coloured paper and printed flower patterns.

Step 1: Cut your preferred colour backdrop for your pendant.

Step 2: Stick it firmly on the pendant.

Step 3: Cut out the printed flowers and place them (one at a time) on the pendant.

Step 4: After each printed flower is placed, a layer of UV resin has to be applied evenly around the pendant and dry under UV light.

Repeat Step 4 until all the patterns have been placed. You can also customize your pendant by adding glitter or gems on it.

Waiting for the resin to dry under the UV light.

Ta-Tah! This are our final products! :) Gladys' hedgehog and butterfly using the needle-felting technique and my beautiful flower pendant. Children (like adults) can also participate actively in needle work as long as they handle the needle with care.

Craft works not only train your motor skills, it also build up your patience and an eye for detail. Exercise your creativity and personalize your craft. Gladys & I had a fun-filled session and was exposed to more craft ideas that is currently available and popular in the market.

Apart from the DIY crafts that is readily available for you to purchase, San Merinos also holds crafting classes (from basic to advance level) and you can find more information here.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Continuation from our little tour around The Grandstand, we were attracted by the fragrant scent from AdamHue. Specialized in enzymatic cosmetics using germinated and fermented seeds & grains, the brand name GF7 is relatively new in Singapore but holds good sales record in other countries. It uses Nanotechnology to extract the enzymes and make it into enzymatic cosmetic.

Special Deals in June:AdamHue is giving away a set of Biogen White Solution (6 week treatment to achieve a brighter and glowy skin) when customer purchase a full set of GF7.

Apart from the range of cosmetic products, AdamHue also sells handmade cosmetic that can be used for various skin types and holds soap making class that is suitable from parents and children to participate.

This activity is suitable for children aged 4 and above and they can learn how to create their very own soap within an hour.

For the beginner soap making class, each will receive 250g of soap base (make 5-7 soaps), choose 2 colours and fragrances for their soaps and bring their soaps home when its done in the beginner class!

First, the soap base is melted and Gladys helped to stir the mixture before adding the colour of her choice. Surprising she did not choose pink and decided to go with red and purple. A drip or two into the solution will do the trick. :)

After giving it a good stir, Gladys chose her preferred scent and dripped 2 drops of fragrance oil into the mixture. Next comes her favourite moment... choosing the shape of the mold to make her soap and pouring the mixture into it. They are so many designs to choose from and we could not decide which one to pick.

Not a single drip of mixture was wasted as Gladys poured them in with lots of care. Look at the colourful mixture in the mold! Can't wait to see how it will look like when its dry.

It doesn't takes too long for our soap to harden. Gladys was looking forward to take her soap out of the mold and wrapped them nicely into the plastic bag.

It was a very fun-filled session and both children and adult can participate actively. If you are not into soap making (available in beginner, intermediate, advance level), there are also lip balm, candle making as well as body cream making class to consider.

AdamHue Pte Ltd

Address: 200 Turf Club Road, #04-15, Singapore 287994

Telephone: 6467 1008

Website: https://www.facebook.com/AdamhueSGDisclosure: Sponsored Review - All comments and opinions are personal. Thank you for the invitation to experience and explore the designated shops @ The Grandstand.